The Morning After
by DSISandraPullman39
Summary: Can Sandra and Grace's relationship ever be mended and can anyone help if it can?
1. Chapter 1

**The morning after** (1/2)

**Disclaimer**: don't own anything just playing with them;)

**Pairing**: Sandra/Grace and Sandra/Strickland

**Episode**: God's waiting room

**Rating**: M (this could prob be a T but any mention of sex or use of suggestive language and I like to play safe!)

**Summary**: Can Sandra and Grace's relationship ever be mended and can anyone help if it can?

**Author's note**: I think Sandra and Grace's relationship needs more exploring and if I can throw in a little love action along the way all the better ;) Enjoy and please review if that's what you're into!

The night before

Opening the door just a crack Sandra looked in at her mother sleeping soundly. She wasn't sure she would ever really get over the few days that she'd just been though. The realisation that her mother really didn't believe that there was any hope for their relationship, and the guilt that she was feeling about the fact that she'd come to that conclusion many years before we're eating away at her.

Closing the door again she tiptoed down the stairs into the kitchen pouring herself a glass of wine before sinking into the corner of the sofa and letting out a deep breath that she felt like she'd been holding for days.

Things with her mother were never easy, they didn't discuss their feelings, actually they barely talked at all if they could avoid it, but somehow this week had found a can of worms opening that she never though she would be able to close again. In two simple statements her mother seemed to have summed up what was wrong with their relationship and why it would never be able to be repaired now;

_"I'd have faded into the background and hope one day she'd realise that her other parent loved her too."_

For years she'd blamed Grace for the distance between them, if asked she'd rant about how her mother was distant, unloving, never understood her. She'd have fought with anyone who tried to suggest that her closeness to her father was at the root of that lack of connection after all she was a child she couldn't be expected to ration out the time she spent with each of her parents, it wasn't her job. No, Grace was responsible and there was no shifting her from that stance. Now though she knew she had to admit to her own culpability in the situation. She'd worshipped her father, idolised him and when he died she hated Grace as much for what she wasn't as what she was. She wasn't him, she could never be him, she didn't even try and she'd never been able to forgive her for that.

Feeling a single tear trickle down her check she sighed staring out the window at the starless sky lost in her thoughts until a quiet knock at the front door brought her back to reality.

"Shit." She muttered saying a silent prayer that the unscheduled break in the silence of the house hadn't woken Grace she rushed to the door pulling up open ready to tear a strip off whoever was on the other side but being stopped in her tracks as she saw who her visitor was.

"Is she asleep?" Robert Strickland asked quietly, stepping inside and waiting for Sandra to nod before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her softly on the lips. "I figured you could do with someone to talk to."

"And if she hadn't been asleep?" Sandra asked trying to maintain her irritation but failing miserably, she had barely seen him for the previous few days and even then it was in work where they still had to maintain the illusion that they were merely colleagues. Now she already felt better just for having him there.

"I'd have balled you out for undertaking an investigation I'd told you to leave alone and she'd have taken great pleasure in watching me do it." He replied following her into the kitchen as she poured him a glass of wine while refilling her own.

"Look I'm sorry ok but it..." Sandra snapped defensiveness taking over her initial relief before he lifted a finger to her lips silencing her.

"I know, I understand, you got a result and I get it, I said that's what I would have done had I have had to come up with an excuse for being here but since I don't I don't want to talk about work I want to talk about you. Are you ok? I'm worried about you and I miss you."

"I miss you too." She smiled taking his hand and leading him into the living room to the sofa before sitting beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm fine though, I feel a bit like my emotions have been run through a mangle but I think it's been good for me, good for us, me and mum I mean."

"Has she been giving you a hard time?" Robert asked putting his arm round the woman he was fast falling in love with and without whom he didn't think he could imagine his life.

"No...well yes but no more than normal it's just she's made me think." Sandra replied snuggling closer into his side as she recounted the conversation about her father and how she'd realised that maybe she was as much to blame for the relationship, or lack of one, that she and Grace had. "I told her tonight that she could stay here longer if she wanted and she told me we were too far apart to keep living this close. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry."

"I'm sorry honey." Robert sighed in response taking the glass out of her hand and setting it on the small coffee table with his own before pulling her into his arms and kissing her again.

Feeling the tenderness in his kiss, the complete lack of selfishness in the way he gently stroked her back, the sole motive for his closeness being to make her feel better set off a tidal wave of emotion in Sandra that she found impossible to stop. Pulling him closer she laid back on the sofa deepening the kiss as she heard a loan involuntary moan escape from her throat.

"God I've missed you." She whispered moments later as Robert broke their kiss and stared down at her his desperation for her as obvious in his eyes as hers was for him.

"And you've no idea how much I've wanted to do this all week." He replied a tinge of regret in his tone "but do you think it's a good idea, you know with your mother upstairs and everything? I still think after what she said the other day she knows that something is going on between us but should we really risk her first introduction to us as a couple being finding us making love on your sofa?"

"No I suppose not." Sandra groaned staring into his eyes and asking herself for the thousandth time why they didn't just tell people, including her mother, that they were together. In truth she knew the answer; she'd said it to him as often as he had to her, but at moments like this she wished things could be different.

"Look Sandra;" Robert smiled feeling her disappointment as much as she did. "She's going to the rest home in the morning right? Well another 24 hours won't kill us it will make it all the better when we can be alone again. I know you've taken the day off so be ready at 7 I'll take you to dinner then we'll come back here and make up for lost time ok?"

"Is that a promise?" Sandra smiled as they pulled apart and he stood to leave.

"Damn right it is," He laughed as they walked to the door and he briefly pinned her against the wall beside it pressing his body against hers so she could feel his need pressing through the fine fabric of his jeans "Do you know how hard it was for me to say stop just now? I've watched you all week at the office doing your whole don't mess with me DCI thing and it's been driving me nuts, you know how you turn me on when you're in charge. You just try and stop me making the most of every second when we finally get some time to ourselves. I'm going to give you a night you will never forget tomorrow night Sandra Pullman, think about that when you get into bed alone tonight."

"You're an evil man Robert you know that don't you?" Sandra replied kissing him a final time, determined to give him something to think about that night too as he stepped through the door and she closed it quietly behind him. Leaning against she tried to get both her heart rate and her hormones in check.

"He could have stayed you know." Grace said quietly from the top of the stairs making her jump as she stared in shock at her mother. "I'd have pretended I didn't hear anything and been nice to him in the morning."

"Mum!" Sandra replied exasperation obvious in her tone as she tried to sound like nothing had been going on and mounted the stairs. "I thought you were sleeping, he was here about work that's all don't get ahead of yourself."

"If he was here about work then police work has changed a lot in the last four decades Sandra, I don't remember your father kissing any of his superiors the way you just kissed him." Grace laughed allowing herself to be lead back into the bedroom before sitting on the bed and looking up at her daughter scepticism dripping from her gaze. "It's fine Sandra you're a grown woman and I'm not naïve it's a very…..very long time since I thought of you as my innocent, virginal, little girl I…"

"Enough!" Sandra shouted not sure whether she was more embarrassed or shocked by her mother's words. "Sleep! We'll talk about it or better still not talk about it in the morning!"

"Fine." Grace sighed as Sandra watched sleep begin to over- come her again and shook her head sadly. "Just remember I've been in your bedroom Sandra and we will definitely talk about this in the morning!"


	2. Chapter 2

**The morning after** (2/2)

**Disclaimer**: don't own anything just playing with them;)

**Pairing**: Sandra/Grace and Sandra/Strickland

**Episode**: God's waiting room

**Rating**: M (this could prob be a T but any mention of sex or use of suggestive language and I like to play safe!)

**Summary**: Can Sandra and Grace's relationship ever be mended and can anyone help if it can?

**Author's note**: I think Sandra and Grace's relationship needs more exploring and if I can throw in a little love action along the way all the better ;) Enjoy and please review if that's what you're into!

The morning after

"Porridge as requested Mum." Sandra smiled setting the bowl of steaming oats in front of her mother before sitting at the table herself and sipping her coffee.

"Are you not eating?" Grace asked eying the coffee mug with suspension. "Coffee is not an adequate start to the day Sandra."

"Mum I'm not 12 I know when I'm hungry and when I'm not and right now coffee is all I want ok?"

"Fine, I am not arguing with you about it I want to talk about last night instead."

"Well I don't." Sandra sighed shaking her head slowly. She'd really hoped that by the time Grace woke this morning she'd have either forgotten or lost interest in her relationship with Robert but she'd also known that was a long shot, a big one.

"How long have you been together?" Grace persisted making it clear that she wasn't going to let the subject drop. "Do the boys in your unit know about it?"

"About 6 months Mum and no they don't know and if you mention it to any of them you won't need a home to go to because I'll kill you." Sandra snapped the last thing she wanted right now as to be having a conversation about her private life with Grace, she'd spent all her adult life keeping her mother as far away from her boyfriends as possible and it was a habit she had no desire to break. She knew what her mother was like when she got her teeth into something and resigned herself to have a very uncomfortable few minutes, but then she'd remind Grace that it was her personal life and she wanted to keep it private.

"Why don't they know?" Grace asked staring at her daughter as she sighed again leaning back in the chair and running her fingers through her hair, a habit she'd had since a child when she was uncomfortable or nervous.

"Why do you think Mum? Robert is my boss, it's not the best situation to be in so we have to be careful." Sandra explained "Not only that but Jack never thinks anyone is good enough for me, and he'd definitely not think Robert was, Brian can't cope with change and it would send him into a tailspin if he knew there was anything going on and Gerry in a weird way gets jealous, he's over protective, he thinks they should all be like body guards making sure I do nothing or see no one that might be even a little dangerous."

"He gets jealous because he fancies you himself." Grace laughed shaking her head at the look of pure indignation on Sandra's face. "Don't look at me like that Sandra he does, he may have accepted that nothing's going to happen between you but that doesn't mean he wouldn't like it to."

"Mum! You have no idea what you're talking about." Sandra replied, there was no way she was going to accept that Gerry had feelings for her, the thought of it was bad enough, she loved all three of the men on her team, she'd protect them to the ends of the earth but that was as far as it went there could never have been anything between her and Gerry and she was convinced her mother had lost her mind!

"Yeah well I think I have. Anyway that's changing the subject I want to talk about you and Robert." Grace continued "Is it serious? Are you in love with him or is it just a fling and that's why you are so determined to keep it quiet?"

"I'm really not comfortable talking to you about this." Sandra sighed knowing it would make no difference but feeling like she needed to put it out there anyway. "Yes it's serious, at least I think it is, it's definitely not a fling, not to me anyway and I think he feels the same."

"And what about sex?" Grace persisted causing Sandra to choke on the gulp of coffee she'd just taken. "It can't be that good since you sent him home last night, when I was your age I'd never have…"

"Stop! That's enough this conversation is over Mother!" Sandra shouted getting up from the table and taking Graces empty bowl to the sink. This morning was only getting worse, had she slipped into some parallel universe were she was expected to talk about her sex life with her mother? Had she fallen asleep last night and woken up in a world where hell had frozen over because that was the only circumstances in which that conversation would happen.

"That bad is it? Remember I've been in your room and based on what I saw in your bedside drawer he's obviously not satisfying you." Grace said, smiling at her daughter's back trying to sound like she didn't know that the best way to get anything out of Sandra Pullman was to get her mad. She'd then spill everything in a rant that she wouldn't be able to control and noticing the way her shoulders tensed she knew it was just about to happen.

"I can't believe you were snooping around in my bedroom!" Sandra shouted the determination she had woken up with to have a pleasant last morning with Grace leaving her completely. "For your information the sex is great, fantastic even, the best I've ever had, he more than satisfies me, ok? As for last night you think I wanted him to go? He was the one who stopped things because he's a gentleman and he didn't want to risk you walking in on us and me having to face you about it in the morning! Well that worked didn't it, we missed out on the sex and I'm still having the conversation! As for my bedside table you should see what he can do with the things you found in their so they have nothing to do with satisfying me because he can't. Now this conversation is over am I making myself clear?"

Watching as a broad smile crossed Grace's face Sandra kicked herself internally, she'd walked right into her mother's trap, and it made her mad to think that ever at her age she could still be riled into giving her any information she wanted.

"Alexandra Pullman I do believe you're in love." Grace cooed, the teenage gossipy tone to her voice making Sandra laugh, breaking the moment of tension as she sat back down at the table. "I'm happy for you, don't you think that I worry about you? No one should be as self-reliant as you are, we all need someone in our lives who we need to be there."

"Yeah well you know I've never been good at relying on others Mum." Sandra sighed glancing at the clock realising it was almost time for them to leave. "but I'm trying this time and it seems to be working."

"Good, now let's get my things and get me out of your hair so you don't have to worry about anyone walking in on you tonight eh?"

Watching as Grace got up from the table and headed up stairs Sandra shook her head sadly wondering what had just happened. Had they actually had a grown up adult conversation for probably the first time in her life? She wasn't sure but she did know she didn't want it becoming a regular occurrence. Really at the root of things she could now see the truth in Graces statement of the previous evening, they really were too far apart to keep living together but that didn't mean that she couldn't make a little more effort once she was settled into the home. She'd visit more, maybe even bring Robert with her once in a while. After all just because a relationship is broken doesn't mean it can't be mended, it might take a long time and a lot of awkward conversations but maybe, one day, they could come to some sort of truce.

**I was thinking of maybe doing an epilogue to this story about Sandra and Robert's evening now that Grace has gone, anyone interested in reading that?**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Morning After ** (Epilogue)

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:- **God's waiting room

**Pairing:- **Sandra/Grace – Sandra/Strickland

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/**

**Summary:- **Can Sandra and Grace's relationship ever be mended and can anyone help if it can?

**Author's Note:- **Epilogue as promised hope you all enjoy it review if that's your thing!

Candles flickered on the side of the bath as Sandra soaked away the stresses of the day. Coming home to silence had been fantastic, Grace had all but thrown her out as soon as they got her settled in the rest home and she'd spent the afternoon shopping for the perfect outfit for her evening with Robert. He'd already called twice to make sure that she was ok and she hadn't yet told him about her conversation that morning with her mother, she wasn't sure if he'd be mortified or find it all hilarious but she wasn't ready to relive it in detail herself yet so she'd opted not to mention it.

Since the conversation she'd not been able to get him out of her head, until her mother had said it and she'd felt herself becoming so defensive she'd not been ready to admit just how quickly she was falling in love with him. It amazed her at times how right it felt, after so long she'd convinced herself that they would have a heated affair fuelled by mutual lust that had been building for years, and that it would burn itself out in a matter of months, if not weeks but it just hadn't ended up that way. She'd quickly found herself needing him in her life not just her bed and she was sure he felt the same which was making it harder and harder to keep their relationship a secret. She knew the boys had noticed things changing, they hadn't said anything yet but the day would come when they would. They'd eventually start asking why the frequent work related arguments they still had happened more often behind the closed door of her office rather than in front of them a risk they just couldn't take anymore since often they ended up with one or other getting so frustrated that they ended the discussion and silenced the other person with a kiss that transferred all the tension into action and made things so much more complicated and yet so much easier too.

That was how it had all started, a late night slanging match in his office over a case she should never have taken and he should never have given her. She'd been furious, screaming at him that he was using UCOS as some sort of political bargaining tool to further his own career giving them cases that pleased the commissioner, or the government, or just about anyone who could make his life easier. She hadn't remembered ever being as angry with him as she was at that moment and she had never felt more alive as he screamed back at her giving as good as he got. Standing toe to toe, the backs of her legs pressed against his desk, his face tantalisingly close to hers she'd been full flow with a tirade that would have floored many a man when she noticed a change in the way he was looking at her. It was something she'd noticed before and dismissed but it was so much stronger suddenly and as the effect of it caused her to stumble over her words he'd kissed her and in that single kiss he'd shown her that he felt the same electricity that she was. From that second all common sense left her, left them both and within moments he had her pinned against the office wall their hands beginning a power struggle as they tried to touch more of each other, get closer before eventually they gave in and nearly a decade of pent up passion had been poured into that first time. It had left her weak knees and shell shocked as they clung to each other afterward the wall being the only support keeping them on their feet. He'd apologised, been endearing in his stammering defence of his actions, their actions until she'd silenced him, telling him he had nothing to apologise for and reminding him that she had been as willing a participant as he had. So that had been it, from one moment of passion that she had left convinced would be a one off, then told herself wouldn't last, she had fallen in love with her boss and she'd never been happier about anything in her life.

Standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom putting the finishing touches to her hair Sandra jumped as the doorbell rang then heard the key in the door. She knew it was him; she'd given him a key weeks before after he'd called while she was napping and had to ring the doorbell constantly while standing outside in the rain. She'd never given anyone unrestricted access to her home before and at first he'd been tentative about using it, even now he always rang the bell to warn her that he was about to open the door, a fact she found endearing.

"Sandra!" He called as she heard him call as he mounted the stairs and she felt her heart rate quicken as it always did when he was close by.

"I'm in the bedroom." She called back "but I'm not dressed yet."

"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say it's only six thirty and out reservations are for eight I thought maybe we could kill a little time before we go." Robert continued, smiling as he entered the room and caught sight of her dressed in nothing but the fluffy white bath towel she'd wrapped around herself while drying her hair.

"Oh you did did you?" Sandra replied stepping into his arms as he wrapped them around her waist pulling her close. "What did you have in mind?"

"Picking up where I left off last night." He whispered their lips colliding as she melted closer into his arms and gave in to the feelings that engulfed her. "God I've missed you so much, I haven't been able to get you out of my head all day I've been completely useless."

"Well I've not exactly been finding it easy to concentrate myself." Sandra smiled her hands running under his shirt pushing it over his head as he loosened the towel covering her nakedness.

Leading her back toward the bed he eased her back onto the soft comforter before shedding the rest of his clothes and lying beside her. As their lips collided again she felt his hands run over her skin cupping her breasts gently rolling her nipples between his fingers sending shockwaves of desire directly to her core.

"No teasing," she whispered rolling so he was beneath her as she straddled his hips "I want you inside me, now!"

Sliding into his length she moaned softly as his hands rested on her hips guiding her movements as she lost herself in the feeling she had been missing all week. The way he filled her; the sound of the low groans of pleasure he gave with each thrust; the way he called her name and the way they seemed to instinctively know exactly how to please each other. Moments later she felt her rhythm falter as she felt the first waves of pleasure begin to flutter in the base of her stomach and leant forward kissing him passionately as he rolled her onto her back, taking control and pushing her over the edge as she came in a torrent of pleasure crying his name begging him not to stop as he followed her, filling her with a final thrust then collapsing into her arms gasping for air.

"That was amazing." Robert said quietly a few minutes later when they had both recovered and lay together her head resting contentedly on his chest.

"It's always amazing I was just telling me mother that this morning." Sandra replied lifting her head and kissing him softly as his eyes widened in surprise.

"You were just what this morning?"

"She saw you leaving last night I had a very uncomfortable conversation over breakfast, she did everything but ask what your intentions were, it was not pretty."

"Oh god, what did she say?" Robert asked pulling the quilt over them both and turning to face her as she proper herself up on one elbow and sighed.

"She asked if it was serious, if anyone knew, if the sex was good because it couldn't possibly be since I let you go home tonight, like I say, car crash conversation, one I never thought I'd have an never intend to have again." Sandra replied, not sure why she'd decided to tell him, not even aware of having decided to until the words were out of her mouth. "I told her it was complicated so no one knew and that the sex was great and that was all I was saying but you know what she's like."

"And what did you say about how serious it was?" Robert asked his fingers running up and down her arms as she felt the nervousness in his words.

"I told her I thought it was serious and I hoped that you did too, but I don't really know do I?" She replied knowing that moment was coming, the one they'd been avoiding for months now and praying that she'd been reading all the signs correctly. "She then decided that I was in love with you, was quite juvenile about it to be honest it was like being back in school." She continued hoping that by making light of it she wouldn't be putting too much pressure on him.

"And are you in love with me?" He asked his eyes meeting hers making her feel like he was staring directly into her soul.

"Do you want me to be?" she heard herself say, internally kicking herself for acting like a love sick teenager, needing to hear him say it first before she could bring herself to give those words away.

"Yes, of course I do, you're amazing Sandra, you are everything any man would want, you're intelligent, strong, stunningly beautiful, sexy, and I am in love with you, so yes of course I want you to be in love with me do you really need to ask?" he replied, his fingers gently stroking her cheek the truth dripping from his words making her heart ache as she kissed him again.

"Good because I am you know, in love with you I mean." She whispered as he pulled her into his arms again. "Are you really hungry? I think I'd just rather stay in tonight we have a lot of lost time to make up for."

"I think you're right, who needs food when I can feast on you instead." Robert smiled reaching for his phone to cancel their reservation. "Remind me to thank your mother the next time I see her, I've been waiting forever to hear you say you love me."

"Well you can thank her on Sunday." Sandra laughed nibbling on his ear as he thanked the person on the other end of the phone and hung up "I promised her we'd visit, but be prepared I've had my uncomfortable conversation yours is still to come!"

"I can hardly wait!" He laughed as they lost themselves in each other again and all thoughts of Grace, awkward conversations and the rest of the world disappeared.


End file.
